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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345025">Blocking Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmmoKnotKnot7/pseuds/AmmoKnotKnot7'>AmmoKnotKnot7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stanning Sokka Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blogging, Gen, Haiku, Journaling, Mild Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Only Minor, POV Sokka (Avatar), Panic, Precious Aang (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Sokka Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:00:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,184</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmmoKnotKnot7/pseuds/AmmoKnotKnot7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 2 – childhood | <b>schedules</b></p><p>After Mom (and doesn’t that phrase essentially describe their lives), Dad is a mess, and escapes to wherever the military throws him next. Gran gran keeps them alive, Katara keeps them going, but Sokka? Sokka keeps control.  </p><p>And, he discovers, math <i>helps</i>.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Sokka (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara &amp; Sokka (Avatar), Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stanning Sokka Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Sokka Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Blocking Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the only one I've written in a modern setting, because i needed Sokka to be able to indulge in colors and art and journals and be happy</p><p>I couldn't resist the Zukka, but it's pretty minor and easily ignored if that's not your jam</p><p>featuring, Aang being a precious bb taking in everyone in need of friendship, Sokka being unable to resist his puppy eyes, and my own horrible attempt at a haiku</p><p>cw: non-explicit description of a mild panic attack</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Math is Sokka’s favorite subject. He maintains to the end that anyone who hates math just had bad teachers.   </p><p>Katara is decidedly unimpressed by that sentiment, particularly considering that they mostly had the same teachers growing up. </p><p>After Mom (and doesn’t that phrase essentially describe their lives), Dad is a mess, and escapes to wherever the military throws him next. Gran gran keeps them alive, Katara keeps them going, but Sokka? Sokka keeps control.  </p><p>And, he discovers, math<em> helps</em>. </p><hr/><p>One last leaf. Right there, yes. Now switch to green pen.  </p><p>There. Now it’s perfect. </p><p>Grinning in giddy satisfaction, Sokka goes to open his camera so that he can put his latest journaling project on the blog. </p><p><em> Ringing out the old  </em> </p><p><em> Is all well and good but the </em> </p><p><em> Best part is the new </em> </p><p>His cover proudly boasts some of his best work yet, if he does say so himself. </p><p>Finally, it’s time to get into the best part. Organizing his schedule! </p><p>“What are you up to?” </p><p>All his carefully sorted pens and colors are jostled when Sokka flinches violently. “Katara!” he shrieks, scowling at the sudden apparition in the doorway. </p><p>“Ohh,” her eyes are exaggeratedly wide, “are you doing that thing where you obsessively plan out every single second of the next month already?”  </p><p>She cocks her hip against the doorframe like she’s intending to stick around for a while. “Good, then you’re not busy.”  </p><p>And Sokka was really in the zone too. Internally, he mourns the loss. “Go away,” he snaps. </p><p>“No,” she says simply, and skips inside to plop herself on his bed. </p><p>“When did you even get here?” Sokka demands, rearranging his pens to line up properly like they were before the scare.  </p><p>“Just a little while ago. Thought I'd say hi to my very ungrateful brother.” </p><p>“What, before you disappear into Aang’s room to suck face?” </p><p>Katara laughs in a way that makes Sokka’s face immediately twist with regret. </p><p>“Don’t. Shut up. Don't say anything,” he warns, shaking his head like he can dislodge the idea of whatever-his-baby-sister-gets-up-to physically out of his brain. </p><p>While her laughs die out, Sokka is examining the page in front of him, thinking about his plans for it, casting his eyes around the desk to get ideas from his supplies. He's been flirting with the idea of a new kind of format for this week, but is it too risky to move the habit tracker to the bottom left corner? Maybe he should change the color for his new mechanics class to tie in with the work-break theme.  </p><p>The sharp point of Katara’s chin lands on top of his head. </p><p>“Can you squeeze in a dinner with Toph and Suki tomorrow evening, or will it put you back by eighty-four days?” </p><p>It's not an unfair hit, a complaint that he has in fact made before (he adjusted by shortening his lunch slots for the next two weeks and ended up with the debatable skill of not being able to feel when pizza burns the roof of his mouth). But Sokka is too busy doing the calculations in his head and seeing his plan laid out in his mind’s eye to really retort to the teasing. </p><p>“Yeah I can do that. What time?” </p><p>“Dunno, Suki’ll text you,” Katara replies, and leaves with a wave, knowing exactly how annoying that is. Sokka groans, faceplanting into the table.  </p><hr/><p>When they’d first met Toph, she’d been the violent crass girl in their local dog park, and Aang had been all wide-eyes and twelve-year-old innocence.  </p><p>Then she’d been gently but forcefully stuffed into the fanciest car Sokka had seen in his fifteen years by a guy who looked like he’d come straight out of a spy movie.  </p><p>But way less cool. The next time they saw her, she was being escorted by two more of those guys, looking like she wanted to rip the soft expensive looking dress off her skin. </p><p>Sokka was currently having flashbacks to Aang’s begging puppy face that had made him agree to follow the awesome car she was driven off in. </p><p>“Just look at him, Sokka, he’s all alone,” Aang is still trying. </p><p>“Well maybe that’s ‘cause there’s something wrong with him.” Sokka keeps his eyes trained on his food, like that will somehow make up for Aang’s blatant staring. </p><p>“Everyone deserves a chance. Maybe he’s like those gemstones, and we’ll find something beautiful if we just look beyond the rough surface.” </p><p>When Aang starts getting into his metaphor stage of preaching is when one should usually give in. And secret gemstone or not, the guy brooding a few tables from theirs is certainly hot. What could it hurt? </p><p>“Sure Aang, call him over.” </p><p>And that’s how they take in yet another disowned (ex) rich kid. </p><hr/><p>Zuko makes Sokka forget about his schedules. </p><p>He doesn’t know what to do with that. He's never, he means ever, had this before.  </p><p>Katara was there when he started off, and even though she teases him often, mostly she just leaves him to his devices.  </p><p>Then they adopted Aang and Toph into their fold, and that chaotic energy was barely corralled by Sokka’s chronic scheduling. Even so, it is just his tendency to plan and follow through exactly that’s gotten them all out of a lot of tight spots in the past, both as a group and individually.  </p><p>Sokka found his like-minded tribe online, others who need that sense of control over their lives, or even just who appreciate the efforts he puts in to make his journals aesthetically pleasing.  </p><p>Suki was the one who was by far the most receptive to his tendencies. Which isn’t surprising, considering the structure and discipline with which she grew up. Between the two of them, they had one hell of a work ethic. It had been <em> fun </em>. He felt seen like he never had before or was again. Seen, known, loved.  </p><p>And... </p><p>...while he’d had moments of spontaneity with Yue, like young love can be sometimes... </p><p>After, his journals had been the only thing keeping him from dropping off the face of the earth for weeks. Maybe months. </p><p>Some days, that’s all he can remember. Which is a horrible disservice to the amazing person she was, everything they felt for each other. </p><p>But. Zuko. </p><p>Is new.  </p><p>“It is NOT five thirty already,” Sokka gasps, staring at his phone. Clearly displaying, 5:32 pm. </p><p>“Oh yeah,” Zuko says casually, looking over at the literal <em> wall clock </em> in his living room, because he has so much old man energy. “Got pretty late huh?” </p><p>“Pretty late?!” Sokka scrambles over to his bag, practically ripping his journal open, trying to calculate how he can salvage this.  </p><p>“Whoa, hey. What's going on?” </p><p>Right. Zuko’s still new, hasn’t been introduced to all of Sokka’s neuroses yet. </p><p>Let's fucking fix that, Sokka thinks hysterically. He's never entirely forgotten about the time like that, <em> ever </em>. His constant time checks drive Katara up the wall when they go out. </p><p>Pale skin and black hair block his journal out.  </p><p>“Sokka, breathe.” </p><p>Huh? What? He's breathing, that’s kinda a requirement to be alive. Living and breathing as they say. He can’t quite see clearly, but once these black spots clear out, he’ll be peachy. </p><p>A warm grip guides his hand to an even warmer chest, rising and falling slow and exaggerated enough that Sokka gets the hint even while his mind runs a mile a minute. After a few, he can hear the careful breathing as well, somewhere to his left.  </p><p>Oh look. The black spots are gone.  </p><p>His brain comes online. </p><p>Zuko is next to him. Holding his wrist. To <em> his </em> (really well muscled) chest. </p><p>Sokka wrenches his hand away like he’s burned (the boy is certainly hot enough. No! Bad Sokka). “Fuck shit sorry.” </p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Zuko sounds deliberately light and casual. “You good?” </p><p>Sokka’s chest burns in mortification. “Uh, yeah. Fine,” he says, ducking his head. </p><p>Unfortunately, that drops his gaze to the open journal again. He's two hours behind, two whole hours, this is going to mess everything up, he has midterms next week. Maybe he could not sleep. Or take his bathroom breaks and food breaks simultaneously? Or- </p><p>“Did you have somewhere to be?” </p><p>Sokka still can’t quite meet Zuko’s eye. Damn he’s been their friend for all of a month and Sokka’s falling apart on him. </p><p>And really that’s the reasonable assumption, isn’t it? That he missed some kind of pressing commitment and that’s why he’s freaking out? Admitting the actual reason makes him feel like a child. </p><p>“No, no, I just. I-- Well. I have a routine.” The silence is mocking him, definitely. “It’s kind of strict so. Now I'm two hours behind.” </p><p>A pause. </p><p>“That’s rough, buddy.” </p><p>The statement is so ridiculous that Sokka forgets all his embarrassment to turn an incredulous stare at Zuko. He's wincing already, like he pre-emptively regretted whatever was going to come out of his mouth already. </p><p>Sokka’s laughing before he knows what’s going on. And then his brain catches up, and it only makes him laugh harder. Full head thrown back, bordering on hysterical, big belly laughs.  </p><p>“Oh man,” he’s gasping after several minutes, “I needed that.” </p><p>Zuko seems to have run the gamut of emotions to finally settle on sheepish amusement. “Glad to have been the source of levity,” he rasps quietly, all formal and tightly wound. One of these days, Sokka wants to take him apart. </p><p>“Welp,” Sokka exclaims, shutting the journal with a heavy snap that echoes with chilling finality. “Guess I'll have too hot pizza while also taking a dump for the next three weeks.” </p><p>“What?!” Zuko looks appropriately disgusted. Only once he moves past the automatic <em> ew </em> does he realize what Sokka means. And then he rolls his eyes. The entire process is extremely readable on his face, which is odd considering how hard it was for his face to make expressions other than ‘sullen’ or ‘furious’. </p><p>“Come on Sokka. I'm sure playing video games for a little longer than intended doesn’t mean you have to eat while,” his nose scrunches a little, and he gestures vaguely with his hand, “that.” His delicacy is oddly charming. </p><p>“You, my good sir,” Sokka says, waggling a finger and putting on a ridiculous accent, “have good intentions, but no clue of what you speak.” </p><p>“Tell me, then.” </p><p>“Wh- what?” Sokka’s so taken aback his accent drops. </p><p>“Explain how it works and why one day of leisure messes you up for three weeks.” </p><p>Sokka regards him for a long moment, squinting and getting closer, then moving back and opening his eyes wide, then doing it all over the other way around. </p><p>Gathering all the evidence, he concludes, “You’re serious.” It comes out breathless. </p><p>Zuko had quietly submitted himself for inspection without much reaction, but the conclusion seems to stump him. “Well, yes. Why wouldn’t I be?” </p><p>So... Sokka does. He explains his entire system, starting with the simple stuff, getting more into it as Zuko asks a few pertinent questions and doesn’t seem like he’s politely indulging even though Sokka has been talking for a whole five minutes now. He even pulls up a few of his posts on the blog, which sparks a whole other discussion. </p><p>In the end though, Zuko helps him adjust for the lost two hours in a way that doesn’t threaten his food time, which is very dear to him, or his prep time for the midterms.  </p><p>And when they’re done it’s even later, but Sokka can’t begin to feel anything close to regret about the time they just spent together.  </p><p>“Honestly though, that is so much effort,” Zuko says from his end of the couch. Sokka doesn’t have the energy to turn his head right now. “Have you ever considered just <em> doing  </em>things?” </p><p>No, Sokka has never. But he can see how Zuko likes that idea better.  </p><p>“Oh yeah, no, makes way more sense to latch onto unattainable goals and jump in without a plan.” </p><p>“Hey, say what you will. I achieved those goals.” </p><p>Admittedly, Sokka cannot argue with those results. </p><p>Plus gloating, even mildly, looks good on Zuko. Sokka knows he treats everything he’s bad at like it’s the most important thing in the world, and everything he’s good at like it doesn’t matter at all. </p><p>And he knows why.  </p><p>“Just doing what needs to be done without thinking works,” Zuko feels like adding. </p><p>“For you, maybe,” Sokka replies, and Zuko hums, and they leave it at that.  </p><hr/><p>Three months later they’re buying the ingredients for Hamilton themed cupcakes at 3 am for an impromptu baking session. And in Zuko’s obsessively tidy kitchen, Sokka pulls him for a kiss that’s overwhelmed by frosting, without a single plan in mind. </p><hr/><p>(Sokka does talk to his therapist, and as it turns out. Not the worst thing that Zuko makes him forget about the time sometimes. He’s never going to stop journaling, he’d never deprive the world of his art and his haiku skills like that. But he learns how to do it healthy-ly. Plus, he gets Zuko kisses. Win win all around) </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i feel like Sokka is the kind of person to add -ly to the end of any word he feels like, even if it already has a correct adverb variation, like healthily</p><p>also, i need everyone to know that Toph got a huge doberman mastiff as her first guide dog as a fuck you to her parents who thought she was 'too delicate and fragile' to handle any support animal. She calls her Badger.</p><p>i only wrote this modern au for this oneshot, but i have a hard time letting go of worlds and now i really want to write about how the gaang adopted toph into the mix, what kind of childhood Suki has had, maybe a more detailed version of the kiss scene</p><p>if that sounds interesting to anyone, lemme know. i might just keep going with this one, separate from sokka week</p><p><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/omni-flex">My Tumblr</a>. come say hi!<br/><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sokkaweek">The official Tumblr for SokkaWeek2020</a>. check it out for rules, schedule and prompts.<br/><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SokkaWeek2020">The ao3 collection.</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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